U.N. moves biodiversity talks out of China over COVID delays

Montreal steps in to host 'urgent' nature protection summit in December

A visitor looks toward the COP15 conference logo during the COP15 UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen. The talks have been moved to Montreal instead of the Chinese city of Kunming due to pandemic delays. (File photo by AFP/Jiji)

CK TAN, Nikkei staff writer

June 21, 2022 20:45 JST

SHANGHAI -- A global U.N. biodiversity summit is being moved to Montreal from Kunming after repeated COVID-19 delays pushed back the talks aimed at striking a deal to protect nature.

Delegates to the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity, known as COP-15, will now gather in the Canadian city for the Dec. 5-17 summit after host China agreed to step aside -- dealing a blow to President Xi Jinping's drive to project the country as a leader in ecological conservation.